Joao Fonseca shares what Novak Djokovic told him after French Open upset
Joao Fonseca shares what Novak Djokovic told him after French Open upset
Yasmin Syed in Paris Sat, May 30, 2026 at 8:09 AM UTC
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Djokovic Fonseca 2026 French Open - Day Six
Novak Djokovic congratulated Joao Fonseca in Portuguese (Image: Getty)
Joao Fonseca has disclosed that Novak Djokovic wished him luck in Portuguese after he mounted a stunning comeback from two sets down to stun the 24-time Major champion 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5.
At just 19 years old, the Brazilian became the first teenager to defeat Djokovic at a Major tournament, and only the second player in history to beat the Serbian superstar from two sets down in a Grand Slam match.
Fonseca's triumph has thrown the men's singles draw wide open. Every other Grand Slam winner remaining in the draw - Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka, and Marin Cilic - were all eliminated across the opening two rounds. World No. 1 Sinner's five-set loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo stood as the tournament's biggest shock so far, as he struggled in the heat after waking up feeling under the weather.
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The 28th seed delivered yet another earth-shattering upset, revealing that Djokovic was the first to offer his congratulations after Fonseca struck three consecutive aces from break point down to seal victory in four hours and 53 minutes.
Fonseca and Djokovic shared a warm, extended exchange at the net, with the teenager later commenting: "I think, first of all, it was an amazing match. I mean, for me, just sharing the court with him was an unbelievable experience.
Joao Fonseca came from two sets down to shock Novak Djokovic at the French Open (Image: Getty)
"In the end of the match he just said, 'Good luck'. Actually, he said in Portuguese. I can't remember. Now he said something like, 'Parabens', which means congrats in Portuguese. He said, 'Keep it going, good luck'. Yeah, for me it was just a pleasure sharing the court with him."
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Prior to this week, Fonseca had never overturned a two-set deficit in his professional career. Remarkably, he's now accomplished this feat twice. The 19-year-old showed visible emotion following his comeback triumph against Dino Prizmic in the preceding round, yet he never anticipated defeating Djokovic, believing the third seed was "destroying" him during the opening stages.
"Actually, I was not even believing myself. I mean, it was tough to play against him in the heat. He was destroying me. I mean, if I hit it hard, the ball was coming back harder. If I would go it higher, he was just doing dropshots and going aggressive," he revealed.
"I just stayed focusing on point by point. Not focusing that I had three more sets to win. I was just thinking, let's stay, let's stay. I figured out he was a little bit more tired, and that gave me a little bit more hope. Yeah, I think just stayed.
"Yeah, fourth set, when I won the fourth set, I was already tired. The fifth set was all heart. I couldn't even think. I was just trying to go. Yeah, I think when I won the third set, I started believing a little bit."
Fonseca has never advanced this deep at a Grand Slam competition previously, but given the Roland Garros draw is the most open it's been in decades - definitely since pre-Rafael Nadal - he'll fancy his prospects of progressing further, particularly after eliminating Djokovic. Nevertheless, he's tipping several other competitors to capitalize on the available openings.
The No. 28 seed continued: "That was my first fourth round in my career. I'm just thinking about my next match. The guys are still playing. For now, I'm just enjoying the moment. You know, I think just ten minutes after the match I could realise a little bit what I did, what I achieved, how difficult it was, and how amazing it was for me. Yeah, I'm just in the fourth round.
"Of course, Jannik and Djokovic out, there's more chances for the guys that are more time on tour, like Sascha [Zverev], Casper [Ruud], or whatever. I'm just focusing match by match. For me, it was a great achievement just being able to play my first time round of 16. I'm just going to enjoy the moment."
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Source: “AOL Sports”
